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Five reasons why mosquitoes bite some people more than others

If you think mosquitoes are more attracted to you than other people– you may be right, according to the American Mosquito Control Association.

“There is no question that some individuals are more attractive to mosquitoes due to chemicals they secrete from their skin and from their particular skin flora,” said Joseph M. Conlon, a technical advisor to the American Mosquito Control Association, to Time.

But what causes a person to produce these special “chemicals”? Here are five reasons why, Time reports:

1. You’re pregnant: When a woman is in the late stages of pregnancy she exhales more carbon dioxide than the average person, according to a 2002 study. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide because it enacts their “special nerve receptors,” Time reports.

2. You sweat a lot: When you sweat, lactic acid forms which is a big attractor for mosquitoes, Conlon said to Time. Conlon also said that sweat is associated with higher body temperature–and mosquitoes like heat.

3. Your have an O blood type: A study published in theJournal of Medical Entomologyconcluded that mosquitoes are more attracted to people with O type blood. “Type O individuals may share a propensity for exuding certain odors that mosquitoes find attractive,” said Conlon to Time.

4. You just drank alcohol: A study conducted in West Africa suggests that mosquitoes are more attracted to people who are drinking alcohol, “But how widespread that phenomenon is truly remains unclear,” said Laura Harrington, a professor in the department of entomology at Cornell University, to Time.

5. You have “attractive” genes: Scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine conducted a study which concluded that certain genes can produce “natural mosquito repellants,” while others produce mosquito attractants, Time reports.